Evaluation of Reliability and Validity of Persian Version of Children’s Dermatology Life Quality Index (CDLQI) Questionnaire and Practical Use

Abstract

Background: Atopic dermatitis is a common skin disease in children. Severe pruritus and eczematous lesions may interfere with the quality of life of the patients. Objectives: This study was designed to assess the validity and reliability of the Persian version of the children’s dermatology life quality index questionnaire. Methods: After obtaining final acceptance by the first developers of the questionnaire for developing a Persian version, it was distributed to 100 children affected with atopic dermatitis aged 5 to 15 years. We analyzed data by SPSS18. Then, we evaluated the validity and reliability of the questionnaire by Kaiser criterion and Cronbach’s alpha. Results: Questions number 1 (itching) and 6 (sports activities) achieved the highest and the lowest scores, respectively. Cronbach’s alpha was assessed as 0.87, demonstrating good reliability. Inter-item correlation coefficients ranged from 0.24 to 0.69. A one-factor structure was achieved by Kaiser criterion and scree plot. Conclusions: Our study demonstrated good reliability and validity of the Persian version of the children’s dermatology Life Quality Index Questionnaire. There was a significant positive relationship between the severity of the disease and the score of quality of life. However, there was no relationship between the quality of life and the demographic features of the participants.